Ortholite Performance Insoles

I have been testing out the OrthoLite Fusion insole for the past month and wanted to share my thoughts about these performance insoles with you. The first thing I did was take my old insoles out of my shoes and compare them side-by-side with the Ortholite insoles. I run in the New Balance 769 model and the insoles which came in these shoes have stood up pretty well to the 390 miles which I had run in them. (I put 23 additional miles on my shoes wearing the OrthoLite insoles.)

When I removed the NB insoles there were definite wear patterns, especially in the forefoot area. The New Balance insole is 4 millimeters thick and not quite as spongey as the OrthoLite insole which is 6 mm thick. OrthoLite’s insole has two layers: a red bottom layer which is more firm and a yellow upper layer which is porous and spongey, allowing for some give and cushioning.

The insoles themselves are comfortable enough and go unnoticed when I’m using them which to me says a lot. The last thing I want is to “feel” the insole when I’m running. There should be no rubbing, no pain, no anything. They should do their job down there below my feet and I should be focused on more important things such as avoiding cars and dogs and potholes.

The second thing about the Fusion which stood out to me was the arch area. The arch support on the New Balance insole was extremely flimsy and didn’t really do too much as far as support is concerned. The OrthoLite’s arch support, on the other hand, was much more rigid but not in a bad way. The firmer, red foam allows the arch of my foot to rest against it. What I don’t want is for an insole to be too rigid and unforgiving so as not to allow my foot to do what it naturally wants to do as it flexes through each stride. I feel the OrthoLite Fusion insole offers just the right amount of support for my foot without compromising my natural stride.

One of the things I like best about this insole is not the price point ($19.99 retail – a good deal in fact) but the fact that it is made from recycled tire rubber. I have been an avid recycler since the late 1980′s and am even more fanatical about now in the 21st century. I fully support companies which use recycled materials in their products.

OrthoLite claims these insoles can be tossed in the laundry for easy cleaning. I have yet to test this out but definitely plan to do so in order to see if the claim holds true. I promise to report back and let you know the results.